Willmott Dixon has completed work on a new music facility, worth around £12 million, for Army musicians at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS). The purpose-built facility can now house all 54 musicians serving under British Army Band Sandhurst, offering a modern and acoustically optimised environment for rehearsals, performances and
Plans to restore Derby’s Guildhall Theatre and enhance Derby Theatre are set to move forward, as part of a major investment putting culture at the heart of the city. Derby City Council’s Cabinet will agree terms for use of £20 million Government Levelling Up Funding allocated to Derby. The funding
The National Science and Media Museum has announced that it anticipates a 2025 reopening, aligning with the Bradford district’s UK City of Culture celebrations. The museum temporarily closed in June last year to undergo a once-in-a-generation transformation with huge changes through a £6 million capital project called ‘Sound and Vision’,
SINCE opening in April 2023, the new £21m Morpeth Sport and Leisure Centre has become a cornerstone of the community in the town. Continuing its huge success, it has been shortlisted for not one, but two construction industry awards. A sophisticated example of how well-designed facilities can strengthen social cohesion
Willmott Dixon is helping Stockport Council to develop a state-of-the-art Community Hub in Marple, supported by a £20 million grant from the Levelling Up Fund. Stockport Council has submitted a planning application for a new Community Hub in Marple, procured through the Procure Partnerships Framework. The project will deliver a
The first steel pedestrian gate has been fully integrated into its historic surroundings at Everton Stadium. Restoration work has been ongoing to rebuild the Grade II Listed wall around the galvanised steel gate, which was lifted into one of three new pedestrian access points on the eastern boundary of the
MALVERN Hills District Council and Malvern Theatres Trust Board (MTT) have appointed construction consultancy EDGE to provide project management and cost management services for its £20m Malvern Theatres expansion scheme. Levelling Up funding was granted to the scheme in 2023 by the UK Government to significantly widen access to the
RED Construction Group, the specialist main contractor, has celebrated the topping out of the Warwick Castle Hotel, the newest addition to Warwick Castle’s already impressive accommodation offering made up of Woodland Lodges, Medieval Glamping and Tower Suites. The medieval-themed holiday resort named the ‘Knight’s Village’ also features a banqueting hall,
Designed to be a welcoming, social and stylish space, Travelodge’s 85 Bar Café is a vibrant place where you can enjoy a drink or a bite to eat. Eighteen Bar Cafés have already been upgraded to the brand’s contemporary design including its flagship hotel nestled in the heart of London’s
Morgan Sindall Construction has commenced refurbishment work at Watford Colosseum to preserve, modernise and upgrade the historic live entertainment venue. Built in 1938, Watford Colosseum is a Grade II listed building renowned worldwide for its exceptional acoustics. Described by Julian Lloyd Webber as ‘the finest recording venue in the world’,
Willmott Dixon has completed work on a new music facility, worth around £12 million, for Army musicians at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS). The purpose-built facility can now house all 54 musicians serving under British Army Band Sandhurst, offering a modern and acoustically optimised environment for rehearsals, performances and musical collaboration. The project saw Willmott Dixon refurbish former stables dating from c1850 as well as old offices at RMAS to deliver an instrument store, music library, offices, rehearsal rooms, changing rooms, and a crew room. The facility also has sustainable features, with two of the blocks being installed with solar panels and heat source pumps. Called the Joint Bands School project, which began in February 2023, Willmott Dixon worked with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and Pick Everard. It was funded under the Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Army Programme, which is investing £3.35Bn over 10 years to improve living, working and training accommodation for soldiers. Accelerated under the SCAPE framework, the completed work achieved Defence Related Environmental Assessment Methodology (DREAM) ‘Very Good’ and ‘Excellent’ ratings, contributing sustainably to the built environment. Debs Thorne, Joint Bands School programme manager, said: “This project is a fantastic example of the significant investment underway across the Army estate, to support military training and future capability through delivery of modern, sustainable infrastructure. I have been impressed by the quality of the finished buildings and I trust that the British Army Band Sandhurst will soon feel at home in their new, purpose-built music facility.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Plans to restore Derby’s Guildhall Theatre and enhance Derby Theatre are set to move forward, as part of a major investment putting culture at the heart of the city. Derby City Council’s Cabinet will agree terms for use of £20 million Government Levelling Up Funding allocated to Derby. The funding will be split evenly between the Guildhall Theatre and Derby Theatre. Combined the two projects will generate an additional £2.7m per year for the local economy. A partnership agreement has been drawn up by the two organisations to agree details of how the funding will be spent, with the Council’s Cabinet set to agree the terms of the agreement next week. The £10m allocated to the Guildhall Theatre will contribute to the restoration of the Grade II listed building to its former glory and once again welcome audiences. Restoration plans for the Guildhall Theatre will include a new front-of-house experience with an enhanced foyer as well as a new ground floor cafe and box office opening onto the Market Place. The auditorium will also be remodelled to increase the seating capacity to around 280. Back of house facilities will also be renovated to make the venue more accessible, other improvements include refurbished dressing rooms and the installation of a new service lift. A new courtyard will also be included in the works, adjacent to Derby’s historic Market Hall, which is due to re-open in the spring of 2025 following major renovations. Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Deputy Leader of Derby City Council and Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Culture and Tourism, said: “By bringing the Guildhall Theatre back into use, we can not only restore one of our historic buildings but create more space for community-led arts groups to perform right in Derby’s cultural heart. “We’re on a mission to put culture at the heart of our city, bringing pride to our high streets, and attracting further investment into the city. Change is coming and what is planned for Derby’s Market Place is truly exciting.” Derby Theatre’s £10 million allocation will enable the Theatre and the University of Derby to complete phase one of its New Horizons project, delivering a state-of-the-art new accessible studio theatre and Learning and Research Hub. The Learning and Research Hub will allow the Theatre and University to develop further the undergraduate and postgraduate offer onsite in a professional theatre continuing to make the most of and enhance the unique connection between students, professional artists, participants and audiences. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The National Science and Media Museum has announced that it anticipates a 2025 reopening, aligning with the Bradford district’s UK City of Culture celebrations. The museum temporarily closed in June last year to undergo a once-in-a-generation transformation with huge changes through a £6 million capital project called ‘Sound and Vision’, including two new permanent galleries, a new passenger lift and improvements to the main entrance, thanks to support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The museum had initially been set to reopen this summer, however due to unforeseen delays to the excavation of an additional passenger lift shaft, it is now anticipated that the museum will open in two phases, with the building welcoming visitors at the start of the Bradford district’s City of Culture year, and the new Sound and Vision galleries launching later in 2025. Commenting on the plans, Jo Quinton-Tulloch, Director of the National Science and Media Museum said: “Our new Sound and Vision galleries will completely transform the museum’s visitor offer by showcasing our incredible collections and ensuring visitors can find stories that resonate with them. “Having an additional passenger lift is a crucial part of our transformation that will enable us to welcome many more visitors in 2025 and beyond. Despite extensive survey work before the excavation commenced, our contractors encountered an unexpected make-up of ground at the base of the lift, which took much longer to excavate than anticipated. Whilst the impact of this delay in the short term is frustrating, our Sound and Vision project will future proof the museum for decades to come. “Our new gallery designs reveal how the spaces will be dynamic, interactive and inspiring, underlining how all areas of our collection from photography to videogaming are embedded in every aspect of our lives. Visitors will be able to see the first ever photographic image; have a go at being a sound engineer; step inside the studio of a local radio station and enter a live art installation. We’ve also worked closely with local communities to ensure we’re telling stories that are relevant to Bradford, showcasing the creativity and diversity of our home city. We look forward to welcoming visitors back into the museum and into our new Sound and Vision galleries in 2025.” During this extended temporary closure, the museum will continue to engage with audiences through a vibrant off-site offer. Since June, the museum’s Learning team have been bringing their ‘Visiting You’ programme of educational workshops and activities to local schools and community venues, reaching out to more than 6,000 school children to date. The team has also developed an exciting school holiday offer in partnership with venues across the Bradford district. Elsewhere, while Pictureville Cinema remains temporarily closed until this summer, the museum continues to host a series of cult and classic film screenings as part of its busy Pictureville Presents off-site offer at Bradford Alhambra Studios. With more details about the upcoming cinema programme to be announced soon. As well as announcing the updated reopening plans, the museum has revealed a tantilising glimpse of the latest designs for its new permanent Sound and Vision galleries, including details of gallery themes and stories, along with an artist commission for an interactive installation. Thanks to £3.4m support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible by National Lottery players, the new galleries will completely transform two floors of the museum, reimagining the display and interpretation of its world-class collections of photography, film, television, animation, video games and sound technologies. Designed by gallery architects, AOC (Agents of Change), the new galleries will showcase the museum’s core collections through the four key themes of Innovation, Identities, Storytelling and Everywhere, to lead visitors on a journey through the explosion of sound and image technologies, and the impact on our lives. The latest design renders illustrate some of these themes and the key moments and stories that visitors will be able to explore throughout the galleries. In the section on Identities, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in an interactive space with ‘sound showers’, a mixing desk and dance floor to evoke the shared experience and thrill of live performances and gigs. A key moment in Storytelling will take visitors through the long history of creating animation from flipbooks and stop motion to digital illustrations through the stories of beloved fictional characters such as the March Hare from Alice in Wonderland. Local radio station, Bradford Community Broadcasting (BCB) will also feature in the new galleries in Everywhere, where an interactive studio space will tell the story of how sound and image technologies have enabled local community representation in broadcasting and give visitors the chance to be a radio DJ. In a newly reconfigured part of the galleries which has opened up a double height space, artist Nayan Kulkarni has been commissioned to create an interactive installation called ‘Circus.’ Visitors will be invited to enter a room that comes to life using a captured live feed of themselves, like a chamber of mirrors, encouraging visitors to engage with broadcast technologies and see how image manipulation has changed over time. Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “It is incredibly exciting to see the designs of the new gallery spaces as part of the Sound and Vision project, which we’re thrilled to be supporting thanks to National Lottery players. The transformation of the National Science and Media Museum will ensure this national and local treasure is a star attraction for City of Culture 2025, and it will also have a lasting and meaningful future with local people and visitors enjoying it for generations to come. Improving access to the museum is an important element of the project, so although there is a short delay, this work will enable more people to experience the wonders of science and media.” A vibrant activity plan sits alongside the development of the new galleries, supporting greater access, representation and volunteering opportunities, focused on enabling more people to engage with the museum.
SINCE opening in April 2023, the new £21m Morpeth Sport and Leisure Centre has become a cornerstone of the community in the town. Continuing its huge success, it has been shortlisted for not one, but two construction industry awards. A sophisticated example of how well-designed facilities can strengthen social cohesion and inclusion in an aesthetically pleasing hub, the centre has been shortlisted in the Public Sector Project and Community Benefit Project categories of this year’s RICS North East Awards. Commissioned and funded by Northumberland County Council and Advance Northumberland, this project was designed by leading firm GT3 Architects and constructed by Willmott Dixon. Located at the edge of the town centre conservation area and sitting beside the River Wansbeck in Gas House Lane, the new facility acts as an exciting bookend to the existing high street. Along with the sporting facilities – including a six-lane swimming pool and spectator gallery, learner pool, spa and fitness suites, studio and multi-use sports hall – the centre incorporates a new community services hub. This includes a double-height community library, a customer service centre, a café and soft play with connections to a poetry garden and outdoor terraces, plus a brand-new adult learning facility with classrooms for a number of courses. Since opening, the new centre has enjoyed a 200 to 260 per cent increase in swim, gym and class visits and a 165 per cent increase in community members. Paul Reed, director and sport and leisure lead at GT3 Architects, commented: “We knew from the very first discussions about revitalising Morpeth’s leisure centre that there was a huge opportunity to design a new typology of public building – one which embraced social cohesion, community, and wellbeing, just as much as sporting excellence. “Naturally, as architects, we are keen to ensure our buildings fit their context and can be considered visually as great designs, however a more important driver is that people enjoy and interact with the spaces. Our design team worked hard to create a flexible and inclusive destination, which better supported the various community and sporting groups within the area, whilst also offering new users a reason to visit. “We’re incredibly proud of the story the numbers tell about the resulting impact on the local community and delighted that the centre has been recognised by RICS. We hope Morpeth Leisure Centre will continue to deliver tangible and enduring social value for the region, offering a new model for cohesive leisure and community delivery.” The GT3 Architects design team also focused on carbon reduction and sustainability by introducing a large-scale photovoltaic roof array to provide reliable energy source and CO2 savings. They also included a series of building-wide heating and cooling solutions to minimise waste energy. Paul continued: “Our sustainability strategy for Morpeth was built on three core pillars – social, environmental, and economic. There’s little point in designing the most environmentally sustainable facility if no one wants to be there. As well as more than doubling the use of the sport facilities, the council has been able to generate additional income while consolidating its overheads and feeding into social fabric of the town.” Northumberland County Councillor Jeff Watson, Cabinet Member for Promoting Health Lives, said: “The design of the centre is truly spectacular. It is bright, spacious and takes advantage of the beautiful views of the River Wansbeck. It is an incredible building, and a vibrant community space offering the facilities and activities that the local community want. This has been backed up by the record attendance figures since it opened a year ago.” Jo Robison, director at DPP planning, said: “The building is an amazing success and has already become the heart of the community. “The site was a complex one in planning, heritage and flood risk terms but through careful engagement and clever design responses, the team has created a public building that brings people together for good and we are incredibly proud to have played a part in that.” The shortlisted projects for the 2024 RICS North East Awards will be judged in the coming months, with a number of judge’s recommendations put forward as finalists for the national awards later in the year. For further information, please visit www.gt3architects.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Willmott Dixon is helping Stockport Council to develop a state-of-the-art Community Hub in Marple, supported by a £20 million grant from the Levelling Up Fund. Stockport Council has submitted a planning application for a new Community Hub in Marple, procured through the Procure Partnerships Framework. The project will deliver a two-storey community hub located in Marple Memorial Park with a five-lane swimming pool, a ground-floor library with a small cafe, a 60-station fitness suite, shared community spaces, and the relocated Marple clinic. The formal planning submission follows an extensive consultation process to finalise the designs, which will see the Marple’s existing police station, library and health clinic demolished to make way for the new Community Hub with all of those uses retained on the site. The Library and Clinic will be relocated into the new complex with the Police relocated into Hollins House. The hub project will also replace the village’s previous swimming pool which closed in 2018. Pending planning permission, the project will be completed by the end of 2025 and comes hot on the heels of the official opening of Stockport’s transformational town-centre Viaduct Park and Interchange, delivered by Willmott Dixon for Transport for Greater Manchester. Earlier this month Stockport was also officially named the Best Place to Live in the North West of England by the Sunday Times. Anthony Dillon, Managing Director for Willmott Dixon in the North: “We’re proud to be working in partnership with Stockport Council once again, and to be playing our part in creating a vibrant and innovative community hub for the people of Marple. In delivering Stockport Interchange and Viaduct Park, we worked alongside incredible local organisations such as Pure College, the Webb Lane Community Allotments, The Wellspring and The Samaritans and we look forward to continuing to support more amazing local causes. “At Marple Community and Leisure Hub, we are committed to delivering a social return on investment of £3.78m including 132 weeks of apprenticeship training and 40 weeks of work placements. We look forward to also running two bespoke ‘Building Lives Academy’ skills programmes for students with special educational needs and care leavers.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The first steel pedestrian gate has been fully integrated into its historic surroundings at Everton Stadium. Restoration work has been ongoing to rebuild the Grade II Listed wall around the galvanised steel gate, which was lifted into one of three new pedestrian access points on the eastern boundary of the site last November. Stones that had been removed to create the space were all individually catalogued, photographed and numbered for later reintroduction by heritage specialists. And experts from Specialist UK Restorations, based in Ormskirk, have now completed their work to replace the stones in their original positions and ensure the wall is rebuilt sympathetic to the appearance of the historic structure. Three main pedestrian access points on Regent Road, all manufactured less than half a mile from the stadium site by Warbreck Engineering, are to be installed in total. These will be central to the flow of all visitors to the stadium, as all entry will be via the eastern side of the site. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
MALVERN Hills District Council and Malvern Theatres Trust Board (MTT) have appointed construction consultancy EDGE to provide project management and cost management services for its £20m Malvern Theatres expansion scheme. Levelling Up funding was granted to the scheme in 2023 by the UK Government to significantly widen access to the creative arts by extending the leading cultural hub and its community services. The project consists of over 2,000sqm extension comprising a new studio theatre, flexible workshop spaces, teaching spaces, editing rooms, and commercial events spaces, and will be delivered in partnership with architects Burrell Foley Fischer. Attracting roughly 300,000 visitors each year, the aim of the project is to deliver a world-class cultural facility increasing footfall by around 135,000 more attendees per year, which would in turn boost the local Great Malvern economy by £11m annually. Josh Barber, senior project manager at EDGE, said: “We’re really pleased to have been appointed to help bring the new state-of-the-art theatre to life, which will widen access to both culture and opportunity, broadening scope to offer the local population training and experiences in performing arts, digital media and hospitality. “The project is strongly focused on community benefit and social value, and that aligns perfectly to our values at EDGE. Our culture sector team is an agile but growing one renowned for high-quality service, and we’re proud to add a Levelling Up project of this scale to our wider portfolio.” The newly accessible facility will enable increased participation by physically and mentally disabled people, by improving access to the theatre’s main commercial offer as well as its ‘Take Part’ programme of tailored events. Malvern Theatres will also be able to accommodate an extra 105 local schools with its new facilities, be that for theatre performances or specific workshops. The project is predicted to create 45 jobs and a further 120 indirect employment opportunities, with Malvern Theatres aiming to offer 10% of these to apprentices and work experience opportunities for school-aged children. Fred Moroni, marketing director at Malvern Theatres, said: “We’re delighted that EDGE has been appointed as a key partner in the delivery of this exciting and transformative project for Malvern. Levelling-up means increasing opportunities for everyone in our community and we look forward to working with EDGE to create spaces in which this shared vision can be realised.” Cllr John Gallagher, portfolio holder for resources at Malvern Hills District Council, said: “We are pleased to have appointed EDGE as part of the development at Malvern Theatres. This is such an exciting time and we can’t wait to see progress being made on this monumental project.” Helen Grassly, director at Burrell Foley Fischer, added: “We are delighted to have been selected, by Malvern Theatres and Malvern Hills District Council, as their architects to remodel and extend the theatre. It is already an incredibly successful venue, in a magnificent setting, and we are excited to be working with them on designs to support their future ambitions. We look forward to sharing our initial ideas with the community in due course and asking for their input to the evolving proposals.” The new Malvern Theatres project is planned to be completed in 2026. For more information on EDGE and its services, follow the link below:https://www.edgeps.co.uk/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
RED Construction Group, the specialist main contractor, has celebrated the topping out of the Warwick Castle Hotel, the newest addition to Warwick Castle’s already impressive accommodation offering made up of Woodland Lodges, Medieval Glamping and Tower Suites. The medieval-themed holiday resort named the ‘Knight’s Village’ also features a banqueting hall, outdoor entertainment and a newly expanded bar and restaurant. The new £10.3m hotel forms a key part of Merlin Entertainment’s £16.4m investment in Warwick Castle. RED Construction’s Special Projects team delivered the development of the two-storey hotel, which has added 60 lodge-style, themed guest rooms at Warwick Castle. The hotel has been sensitively designed by architects, The Manser Practice, to tie in with the surrounding Knight’s Village properties, consisting of a rough cast render with timber cladding and timber shingle roof tiles. The hotel is linked via an elevated walkway to the existing Knight’s Village restaurant, which has also undergone an extension, with extra dining space provided by new decking adjacent to the restaurant. The building has been constructed to achieve a BREEAM Very Good rating, and as part of the project, Merlin Entertainments planted 1,000 additional trees in the local area. The new hotel accommodation is set to boost the local economy and provide new opportunities for holidaymakers to visit and stay in Warwick. RED Special Projects’ completion of the Warwick Castle Accommodation development follows the team’s work on Phase One of Merlin Entertainments’ £35m LEGOLAND Woodland Village project. RED Special Projects’ works there include the creation of a large ‘Hub’ to provide a restaurant, bar, large WC facilities, and an industrial kitchen. David Nelson at Merlin Entertainments commented: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with RED Special Projects again, following the team’s excellent work on our LEGOLAND Woodland Village project. The Warwick Castle Hotel is the latest of our development plans for some of our best-known leisure destinations across the country, and one which we’re very pleased to see come to fruition. “We’d like to extend a special thanks to our neighbours and local residents, who have been supportive and understanding throughout the planning and construction processes. The new hotel will bring more visitors to Warwick, further supporting the local economy, and giving families an exciting place to stay in the heart of this historic city. The RED team has done a fantastic job, and it was a special moment to celebrate the topping out of the project with all involved.” Nathan Farrar, Managing Director at RED Special Projects, said: “It is an honour for the RED Special Projects team to work in an area of such historic and cultural significance, and we are proud to have worked with Merlin Entertainments on yet another iconic location in their portfolio. Alongside the wider project team, we have taken specific measures to ensure that the heritage of the area is maintained, and this is a particularly unique project where the specific skills and understanding of the RED Special Projects team have proved invaluable.” RED Special Projects benefits from its relationship with RED Construction Group, with clients having access to the company’s wider supply chain and having the flexibility to call upon the additional resource of the Group whenever necessary. Working across a wide scope of industries, RED Special Projects primarily focuses on the commercial, residential, hotel, and retail arenas. The team also has extensive expertise in specialist areas such as listed building refurbishments and structural alterations. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Designed to be a welcoming, social and stylish space, Travelodge’s 85 Bar Café is a vibrant place where you can enjoy a drink or a bite to eat. Eighteen Bar Cafés have already been upgraded to the brand’s contemporary design including its flagship hotel nestled in the heart of London’s Covent Garden. Travelodge, the UK’s first budget hotel chain, with nearly 600 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain announces the rollout, to selected hotels, of its new concept; 85 Bar Café. In a multi-million pound investment, and in conjunction with the company’s most significant brand transformation to date, which includes a new style reception area and next-generation rooms; the introduction of 85 Bar Café is in response to consumer research, carried out by Travelodge, to gain further insight into the needs of the modern traveller. 85 Bar Café, a nod to the iconic British hoteliers heritage of when it opened its first hotel in 1985, is an overhaul of the pre-existing Bar Café and offers a welcoming, stylish and comfy space for eating, drinking and unwinding (or a quiet spot for working) whilst also maintaining Travelodge’s quality offering at great value prices. The upgraded Bar Café, with an all day dining service, welcomes both hotel guests and passers-by, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner menus as well as light bites and an extensively stocked bar. The £14 Meal Deal** which consists of two courses of either a main and side or dessert can be enjoyed as well as the mix-and-match offer of three light bites***. For those looking for healthier options, a range of food under 600 kcal is offered alongside plenty of vegan and gluten-free dishes for those with dietary requirements. All of this is at great value, including the Unlimited breakfast* offer, where two kids under the age of fifteen eat for free. Eighteen Bar Cafés have already been upgraded to the new distinct and modern design with the roll out set to continue into additional selected Bar Cafés, as well as several new Travelodge hotels, up and down the country. Upgraded locations to date include hotels in popular London destinations: London Central Covent Garden Travelodge, London Central Euston Travelodge, London Finchley Travelodge, London Finsbury Park Travelodge, London Kings Cross Royal Scot Travelodge and London Waterloo Travelodge. Hotels in key cities include Bath Waterside Travelodge, Birmingham Airport Travelodge, Cambridge Orchard Park Travelodge, Canterbury Chaucer Central Travelodge, Cardiff Queen Street Travelodge, Edinburgh Cameron Toll Travelodge, Guildford Travelodge and Manchester Upper Brook Street Travelodge while Blackpool South Shore Travelodge, Brighton Seafront Travelodge and Poole Travelodge are the first coastal hotels to be upgraded to 85 Bar Café. The stylish decor creates an inviting and vibrant space. With distinct zones embedded into the design for flexibility in dining, socialising and working, a statement bar acts as the focal point to draw in guests, showcasing the great quality barista coffee, alongside the wide selection of craft beers, premium world wines, spirits and sodas as well as a fantastic selection of cocktails including Picante Margarita and Espresso Martinis. The distinctive zones have been designed to suit the needs of business and leisure travellers as well as everyday diners and are identified with floor to ceiling bookcase divisions. The use of botanicals oozes charm and the vibrant neon 85 Bar Café signage adds a retro 1980’s touch. Every 85 Bar Café features a mural, with the numbers 8 and 5 as discoverable elements within. The piece conveys Travelodge’s ethos of bringing people together and putting customers and colleagues at the heart of everything it does. Additionally, SAINT illustrates poster art for the brand, with each piece telling a discoverable music or film reference from 1985 whilst being completely unique to Travelodge. Travelodge’s investment in 85 Bar Café doesn’t stop there, most importantly it also includes its people. Team members are multi-skilled via a four day training programme to give them expert product knowledge and premium customer service skills with the option of undertaking Aspire, Travelodge’s bespoke in-house management training scheme. Karen Broughton, Travelodge Chief Sales and Marketing Officer said: “We’re excited to announce the roll out of our new look Bar Café design, 85 Bar Café as we evolve our quality offering to deliver a better experience for our diverse mix of business and leisure guests. “Our new Bar Café concept offers a modern atmosphere for all-day dining with a diverse menu to appeal to a variety of tastes. This inviting space is available for both guests and passers-by to enjoy a drink or bite to eat or to connect with friends, family or colleagues. All of this is at great value, including our Unlimited breakfast* offer, with the added benefit of children eating for free. “The expansion of 85 Bar Café forms part of a strategic hotel investment programme which will see us upgrade half of our rooms by 2024”. Sustainability runs through everything that the business does, Travelodge has further implemented measures to reduce its impact on the environment which includes steps being taken at all of its 210 Bar Cafés. This includes the use of energy efficient lighting with motion sensor controls, conserving water usage, reducing food waste and recycling anything from plastics, e-waste and leftover food. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Morgan Sindall Construction has commenced refurbishment work at Watford Colosseum to preserve, modernise and upgrade the historic live entertainment venue. Built in 1938, Watford Colosseum is a Grade II listed building renowned worldwide for its exceptional acoustics. Described by Julian Lloyd Webber as ‘the finest recording venue in the world’, it is home to the BBC Concert Orchestra, has been used to record multiple famous movie soundtracks and has hosted a long list of musical as well as sporting greats. To ensure Watford Colosseum’s longevity and to position it as a cultural and sustainable quarter that will drive local investment, Watford Borough Council (WBC) appointed Morgan Sindall’s Northern Home Counties business to undertake an extensive refurbishment. The Colosseum project follows Morgan Sindall’s ongoing refurbishment at the adjoining, also Grade II listed, Watford Town Hall. When complete, the combined £20m project will preserve both buildings and make use of reduced civic office space to create areas that nurture a sense of belonging and identity. This will see a new interactive museum added alongside a hub to support young people, entrepreneurs, and start-ups as well as a community space and café. Scheduled for completion in Autumn 2024, Morgan Sindall will create a new stage and lighting rigs to enable a wider range of acts to perform and will reopen the original grand entrance, which has been closed for over a decade. Visitors will benefit from a new café as well as accessibility, lighting, and signage improvements to bring the pre-war site up to a modern standard. The tier one contractor will also install an external ventilation duct, and roof plant, and refurbish the existing canopy to the front of the building. To align the Colosseum with WBC’s sustainability goals, the project will minimise the amount of material sent to landfills and make the venue significantly more energy efficient. This will be achieved by installing modern insulation materials, upgrading the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems, and adding photovoltaic (PV) panels to the roof. Once complete, WBC can expect sustainability performance levels far beyond those typical of civic buildings constructed in the 1930s. This includes a 40% saving on gas bills due to new cavity wall insulation and when combined with replacing all lights with LED equivalents and installing new roof insulation, a 166-tonne annual saving in carbon emissions. The refurbishment will also realise U-value improvements, with the rate of energy loss from the walls reduced by a factor of six, and from the flat roofs by a factor of 17. The unique nature of this project will require Morgan Sindall to leverage its Intelligent Solutions approach to meet one-of-a-kind challenges. Maintaining the venue’s renowned acoustics is a top priority and has been factored into every stage of the Colosseum’s planning, design, refurbishment, and operation. Bringing the venue up to a modern benchmark for functionality and sustainability while respecting its historic fabric, such as the timber panelling and Art Deco façade, has likewise seen Morgan Sindall devise innovative solutions and construction processes. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
